AUTHOR
Johansson, Helén; Nylund, Fredrik

DATE
2003-02-05

DEPARTMENT
Business Administration and Social Sciences / Industrial Marketing

SUMMARY
The purpose with this thesis is to illustrate companies’ way of using Key Account Management in the organization. We developed the four following research questions: Why do companies choose to use Key Account Management? How do companies identify and choose their key customers? How does a key account manager work? How do the skills needed by a key account manager look like? The results showed that KAM offered several important benefits, mainly of economical characteristics. Identification of the key accounts was mainly conducted through certain economical criteria the customers had to fulfil. The key account manager had several tasks and was working with assigned key accounts, which he was responsible to nurture and develop. He was also responsible for a team assigned to him. The results further showed that the key account manager was supposed to possess a wide range of different skills. It should be pointed out that the company wanted each key account manager to have their own personal touch.

ISSN 1404-5508 / ISRN LTU-SHU-EX--03/017--SE / NR 2003:017